Medicine Man
by Sleepyhead123
Summary: Don's on his own. Living along the edges of a troubled Kingdom ruled by a tyrant Don tries to help out the townspeople however he can, but soon he will be in over his head and in heaps of trouble. Will these new travelers help him out? Will Donnie find family when he has always been alone? AU
1. Chapter 1

**My imagination ran wild so here's the first part of an AU…**

A flash of olive green and purple, soulful coffee colored eyes and a soft caring touch. That's the only clue anyone can give when asked about the mysterious medicine man. No one knows who he is.

The kingdom's ruler wants him dead. Guards are always searching but the man never leaves a trace to track.

The people love their myth-like hero. Medicine is only affordable for the rich and wealthy, any local doctors are taken into the castle so that the King can fully control their actions. The people were helpless whenever someone became ill. Many died, their only hope being the medicine locked away in the depths of the castle walls.

Then the ghost healer arrived, he saved the ill and made people smile with the presents he left on windowsills. He gave the adults hope and when any children wandered into the dangerous woods they always found their way back. They would run up to their relieved parents and excitedly chatter about their new phantom-like friend that guided them back. Soon, parents no longer worried if their child wandered too far into the forest, they always came back.

Whenever the King felt the need to rampage in his kingdom the children would rush into the safety of the trees, returning only when the violence was through. The children would sneak into their homes and present their families with salves, medicines and bandages for the wounded. There were always injured after a rampage.

A quiet shadowy figure sat watching as families tried to pull themselves together. The medicine he gave them would help for now but he would visit the most injured in the dark hours of the night. He had been doing this since he was merely 17, he had come upon this kingdom, Taiyō Kingdom, controlled by a tyrant and decided to lend his assistance.

That was four years ago.

He leapt back into the foliage and traveled back to his hidden home. He had stumbled upon the hidden entrance to a cave in a rock wall and after exploring he found _another _entrance similar to a rabbit tunnel. He smoothed out the bottom on the right side to create a mini slide and added stairs on the left. This burrow led to a series of caves turned into rooms.

The first being a wide room filled to the brim with inventions piled high on a long desk, an entire wall covered in books including a rolling ladder attached to the wall to reach the higher up books, and the last side of the room was cut of by a curtain. Don's bed, nightstand and reading lamp hidden from view in the small corner. A smaller room enclosing medicines, bandages and two cots was off through the door to the left in case he ever had to bring anyone injured home. He had a small kitchen to the right of the main room with a bathroom branching off from that. The kitchen had another door, leading to numerous rooms he created in the hope that one day he would have guests.

Don built the place from scratch, cleaned the cave walls completely and threw together each piece of furniture from the scraps leftover from the townspeople. He adored his home, it was quiet and peaceful, he could easily work, but…it was lonely.

He couldn't talk to the people from the kingdom because they would get in trouble with the King, he wouldn't let that happen.

He wondered how long he would have to stick in the shadows, alone and with no one to lean on. He tried to keep a positive outlook, he had to believe that someday he would make friends, maybe even find somewhere to belong.

Once, long ago, he had lived in an orphanage miles and miles from here, but the orphanage had been attacked when Donnie was six, after the attack, he was street rat, he quickly learned the ways of an urchin, he was swift, silent and stealthy. He lived that way for another three years before meeting Leatherhead.

Donnie had broken into a large house and had been steeling some bandages and food when the owner of the house returned. Choosing that house for his latest "supply run" turned out to be a mistake. Leatherhead had charged at him, correctly guessing that he was a thief but before he landed a hit he had stopped. Don believed that Leatherhead didn't think the perpetrator was a ten year old turtle and was too surprised to move. He had been running out the door when Leatherhead yelled out and threw a bag at him. He had caught it by reflex and kept running. He found out later that the bag concealed food. Naturally he became curious, why would anyone help a thief?

So he stuck around, kept a cautious watch on Leatherhead's home and soon realized that Leatherhead kept leaving him food on his back window. He left him food for months before Donnie finally let his guard down and talked to him. He learned that Leatherhead was the town's esteemed doctor and scientist and Donnie was soon learning all his tricks. After half a year Leatherhead found that he could teach Don nothing more and Don started experimenting more on his own, coming up with cures and techniques never seen before. Donnie felt like he belonged, it was a fantastic feeling, kind of like what a family feels like but not quite.

Another year flew by with Don under Leatherhead's care when Leatherhead received a message that he had to travel to a far off kingdom, it would be a few months before he returned. Leatherhead wanted Donnie to come with him but Don refused to leave the village without a doctor. He stayed behind.

A month after Leatherhead left, there was an accident, it had been a dry season and the village was surrounded by grass. A lightning bolt struck a nearby field. The grass immediately went up in flames, the inferno that occurred after swept through the village before anyone had time to react.

Cries of pure terror and pain erupted from the villagers, those cries were the reason Donnie rushed back to the village from his search for herbs and meat, only to have to watch as all the people he knew were engulfed by flames. Donnie could only rush around the edges trying to find anyone he could save, but there were no survivors.

After the fire finally died off, Don strengthened his nerves and blocked his emotions. He walked through the ashes and gathered the charred bodies of his friends…He dug their graves, buried their bodies and with the utmost care carved a headstone for each villager. It took an entire week for him to finish the gruesome job; the task went slightly faster due to the fact that he hadn't slept at all that week. He stayed around for months, waiting for Leatherhead to return. He never came back. Don concluded that something horrible must have come up and he wouldn't be coming back. After placing flowers on each grave, he left.

He had nothing to carry except for the clothes on his back, along with the knife, bo and herb basket that he was carrying the day of the fire. He traveled from place to place, never staying long, he never felt needed. He had picked up new medical and fighting techniques during his years of traveling. He had improved greatly and he eventually came upon this dying kingdom, he had seen the state of the families and had learned of the how the King ruled. Don had been sneakily helping the people ever since.

A few miles away, just on the outskirts of Taiyō Kingdom, a single sea green turtle jumped around teasing his two brothers, one of emerald green and one of leaf green skin, who tackled him to the ground in revenge. The three turtles rough-housed but were soon reprimanded by a wise looking rat and a giant chuckling crocodile. They continued to approach the kingdom in the distance.

**Continue...? I probably will anyway but feedback is always nice...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well here I go...some more introduction type things...by the way thank you very much for the reviews :) They helped relieve some of my nervousness **

Coffee colored eyes shined in the light of the bright moon. Don carried his bag of medical supplies as he climbed through the trees, a brown hooded cape shielding his body from sight as he reached his goal.

Silently creeping through the shadows Don crept through the open window and into the living room of the Jones household. He always prioritized this house in his medical runs. Donnie scanned the room. After a few moments he moved quickly into the bedroom.

This system had been created years ago, the villagers realized they could leave their windows open if they needed more desperate medical help after a rampage so Don could deliver what was needed. If their windows were closed it signaled that their injuries could wait and Don could move on to the next house.

Donnie slipped past the sleeping form hunched over on the desk and up to the snoring man on the bed. After giving a quick mental assessment Donnie sighed, relieved, noting that Casey Jones, the biggest rebel in town only needed some stitches on his arm and new bandages for the cuts that April already tried to tend to.

Don gently pressed the pressure points he had memorized by heart, the ones he used to make sure his patients stayed asleep while he worked. After putting Casey into a deep sleep Donnie waved pieces of lavender and willow bark in front of Casey's nose to dull his pain and began working silently on his injuries.

April twitched and Don waited until she completely resettled again before he continued. A sudden thought plagued his mind and Donnie paused in his work to glance back at the sleeping figure on the desk. Not counting himself, April was the closest thing to a doctor the townspeople had. It was only a matter of time before the King decided to take her away. Don could only wonder about what he would do when it happened. Shaking his head to rid these troublesome thoughts, Don wrapped up his work. He left the patient's side and reached into his bag to retrieve some Oat Straw and a bundle of Nettle to put on the desk so that when the couple awoke they could use the herbs to relieve pain before Donnie placed a handful of Skullcap next to April for the headaches she was bound to have from babysitting her husband.

Donnie checked the couple over again for any minute injuries he might have missed before deeming them satisfactory. He dropped a pile of bandages and instructions near the herbs and jumped out the window, never noticing the startled eyes that watched him leave.

Don completed the first nights round. Visiting a total of twenty houses before he called it a night due to the rising sun. He couldn't risk being seen. Exhausted, Donnie slowly made his way home.

The shriek of a nearby hawk stopped him in his tracks. He glanced up through the foliage and used one arm to shield his eyes from the glare of the sun while the other was held elevated, waiting. A strikingly gorgeous snowy white hawk appeared in his vision and Don smiled.

Fira swooped through the leaves leaving a quiet rustling in her wake as she gracefully landed on Don's arm. Close up, Fira's snowy feathers were speckled with gold and chocolate flecks, she was dazzling. Fira gave a quiet squawk of affection in greeting and lightly rubbed her head on Don's. Grinning widely, Don stroked her feathers and listened for the telltale sound of branches snapping. He didn't have to wait long before Keaton rushed out of the brush and attempted to smother Donnie in a fuzzy wolf hug.

Fira upon seeing the black blob hurtle out of the bushes had made the smart choice. She vacated her seat on Don's arm in hopes of escaping the big wolf's path. Donnie laughed and hugged Keaton tight around the middle, letting Keaton's soft ebony colored fur tickle his face as Keaton's wet black nose nuzzled his beak. It had been almost a month since he had sent the duo to restock on medical plants and Donnie had missed them. As Don soaked in the warmth from Keaton's fur he reminisced about his first meeting with Fira, five years ago and then Keaton, three years ago. Donnie had been exploring near a riverside when he noticed a Hawk's nest high in the trees, Don had spent the next few days watching the nest and was eventually able to get extremely close after getting accepted by the mother.

He had watched the hawks hatch and then for a few weeks after he had watched them grow into stunning young birds. The hawks were so accustomed to his presence and daily schedule that when he began packing up his meager possessions and walked out of the wood they had followed him.

Don didn't think the entire family would follow him to the forests edge and he would never have guessed that the one he named Fira after her fiery personality would continue to follow him. But that's exactly what happened. Don was so happy to finally have a companion that he brought her everywhere and even made her her own traveling bag.

Then two years later when Donnie accidentally stumbled upon a lost black wolf pup caught in a hunter's trap Fira had without hesitation flown down and landed on the pup's back, which to Donnie's amazement calmed the pup greatly. When Donnie freed the wolf, the puppy had immediately attached himself to Don's side and had refused to leave it since. Don named him Keaton.

The companionship had long since turned into more and now Donnie could never imagine his life without the duo. But, he knew that though their bond was special… it still couldn't replace the family that he longed for.

A year ago Don had decided to train Fira to fly to the Professor's, a friend he had met in his years of roaming, with a list of whatever herbs Donnie needed. The Professor would retrieve the list from the pouch attached to Fira's neck before gathering the needed herbs. After making sure he had everything on Don's list the Professor would bring the sack to Keaton who waited patiently in the forest near the Professor's home with his own little pack. Don had gone with Fira and Keaton the first time in order to warn the Professor that the scary ebony wolf wouldn't eat him and to establish that this method would work before deciding the hawk-wolf pair could go on their own.

Don knew that it was to his advantage that he didn't have to leave the Kingdom for frequent trips and long periods of time, but while his companions were gone Donnie got incredibly lonely. While Keaton and Fira didn't live with Donnie trapped underground they did live near the caves and Don knew he could visit them whenever he wanted. Now that they were back Don could relax in the trees, safe in the knowledge that Fira and Keaton would be his guardians under the open sky. As Don was lulled into sleep he had no idea that a group of travelers just arrived before the early morning rush at April's bakery.

The door to April's bakery opened, a quaint jingling sound coming from the bell attached to the inside. April looked up and smiled, she had opened the bakery early this morning, the knowledge that she had _seen _the famous phantom-like medicine man keeping her from resting peacefully. After the medicine man left, April had checked over Casey's wounds before she organized the supplies the phantom left for her and Casey. April had started baking early leaving Casey asleep upstairs, but just in time it seemed as she already had customers.

Her smile quickly turned into a surprised stare as she looked at the five odd visitors that just entered her shop. She wasn't surprised to see humanoid creatures, the Kingdom was extremely diverse, there were humans along with humanoid foxes, cats, rabbits, anything you could think of, but turtles were extremely rare no matter where you go. It wasn't often that someone saw one let alone three.

She watched in surprise as an exasperated looking leaf-green turtle wearing a blue mask and charcoal grey and blue clothing entered first, spinning around to hold the door for a giant crocodile wearing a doctor's lab coat, an old rat wearing a brown robe who paused to say "Thank you" and another two squabbling turtles. The emerald skinned terrapin wearing a red mask and black and dark red clothing grabbed the smaller sea green turtle wearing a bright orange mask and white and orange clothing and forced him into a headlock, cackling evilly while the smaller yelped for mercy.

April was briefly reminded of Casey and she let a small grin light up her face.

When the brown-robed rat approached the counter April greeted him and offered some rye bread that had just finished baking. Instead of receiving an answer for her question the turtle in red interrupted bluntly asking "Hey Red, do ya know anywhere we could stay for a while?" The statement earned disapproving looks from the rat and turtle in blue but April ignored the new nickname and the following interaction in favor of analyzing the red banded turtle's question.

She had the extra room, and the extra money would greatly help her and Casey's living conditions but…what were they here for? Most visitors didn't stay for long, why did they need to? Who were they? April snapped out of her thoughts when the orange banded one jumped over and asked "Don't mind Mr. Grumpy. *Gurgle* But can I have some of the wheat bread with the chestnuts? Please please pleasee! My stomach needs it to survive!" April giggled and handed him a generous slice. Then, when the orange one began eating his bread April examined the rest of the group and decided that a straightforward approach would be best.

"So is there any reason you guys are visiting Taiyō Kingdom? Not many come here, at least not willingly." The rat stepped forward and spoke with a gentle, patient expression on his kind furry face. "We are simply travelers, we mean no harm, we merely wish to help" the red banded one snorted and April narrowed her eyes as new suspicions circled around her head "May I ask...Help with what?" If they were here to challenge the King they could get seriously injured and the villagers would be blamed, some killed. April waited for an explanation but the rat only said "Do not worry, the answers to your questions will be revealed in due time".

April was slightly nervous now, but felt that she still needed to give them a chance. They needed a place to stay, a place she could provide. She might as well get to know them…"What are your names? I'm April or Mrs. Jones, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The blue one answered this time "I'm Leo, the red grump is Raph, Mikey is the one stuffing his face, this is our Master Splinter, and this is Leatherhead, the pleasure's ours". April smiled and looked them over one more time, she didn't know why but…it felt right to trust them, so she made a decision.

She would tell Casey later.

"If you guys need a place to stay we have a few extra rooms upstairs. My husband and I own the building so it would be no trouble for you to stay here." They exchanged looks before returning their gazes to hers and the ra -Master Splinter replied "Thank you Mrs. Jones, that is most kind of you". Since it was still so early in the morning April decided that she could show them their rooms that very moment and once they were settled they could return downstairs to the bakery and ask her any questions they had.

"Master Splinter, is it really safe to trust her so quickly?" "Yes my son, do not worry, she is a kind soul with no ill intentions" Leo set his mind at ease and let the subject drop as he finished unpacking. He trusted his Father's judgment. All of his possessions fitting into the dresser drawers that April gave to him and his family. He recalled the reason they were here.

They had been traveling through a village when a humanoid fox ran up to them. He had recognized them from posters, knowing them to be famous bounty hunters. He begged them to go to a Kingdom miles away to get rid of the tyrant that ruled the land. In tears he explained that the evil man went on destructive rampages on the slightest whim and had killed his family and many others. After hearing his story, the turtles couldn't take his money and promised to try their best. They had started on their journey the next day and as they traveled they had come across a massive grave sight. The small group had halted, gazes taking in each and every hand-carved headstone, their frowns growing on their faces as they passed one after another.

They had walked by grave after grave before reaching the end; their sights were met with a small house, when they knocked on the door a giant crocodile pulled the door open so quickly they believed it would be yanked off completely.

The crocodile's gaze had held such hope that the brothers were each filled with immense guilt when his eyes dulled with sadness. The guilt had turned into concern when the crocodile collapsed, tears streaming down his face. They had rushed to his side only to hear him muttering about "failure" and "Donnie I'm so sorry" before he passed out.

Master Splinter had asked them to leave to retrieve water and some herbs and when they returned the crocodile, which they soon learned was named Leatherhead, had awakened.

He would only tell them that he had taken in a child once, a child named Donatello and that he had failed him. He would say nothing else. They remained near Leatherhead and eventually thought of him as family. When they finally decided to leave, Master Splinter persuaded Leatherhead to join them and they had again returned to the road.

It had taken a few months but the group had arrived at Taiyō Kingdom and was now beginning their search for evidence and weaknesses to use against the King.

"LEO. Hey Fearless! Done dreamin yet?" "We have to go down and ask April some questions." Leo snapped out of his reverie and nodded, he followed Raph downstairs were a bouncing Mikey was already keeping April company on a bakery stool. Master Splinter and Leatherhead were seated near the wall, able to view the entire room at once while still able to observe the outside world, Leo and Raph settled in on the stools next to their energetic little brother and Leo waited for Mikey to stop babbling before he asked "April…What can you tell us about this land's King?"

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok…as you read just keep in mind that this is my first chapter story, if you see things I can improve on don't hesitate to point them out. Hopefully my writing isn't too…awkward, thanks for reading!**

"April…What can you tell us about this land's King?"

April froze. No. She knew it. Of course they were here to challenge the King. Who else is crazy enough to travel here? She had to warn them…try to stop them…she couldn't stand by and let them get killed. She had already seen too many people die. She opened her mouth to voice her thoughts "Please, you can't go against him! Not with so few people…he kills any who try, you seem like nice people, thanks for trying to help but none of the villagers could stand to see any more outsiders die"

Gesturing to outside the shop April spoke again "We don't live in the best conditions, we have to rebuild often…but we all have a strong bond and we manage."

She looked at them pleadingly, hoping that they would come to their senses and escape while they could, but her hopes were dashed when Leo gave her a gentle smile and simply said "April, don't worry. We'll be fine. We just need to gather information. We can stop these pointless deaths. You have to let us try." Raph joined in saying gruffly "Yeah Red, we want to do this. It ain't right what he's doing" Even Mikey chipped in, noticing the unease still present on her face. He jumped unto the counter and started gesturing wildly as he said "April, come on now, we won't go down that easily, don't ya who we are?! The BEST of the BEST! We're the top bounty hunters around!"

April glanced around the room surprise showing on her features "You guys are bounty hunters? Really? I wouldn't have pegged you for that…I'm not very up to date on the news…the King banned the spread of newspapers long ago…" she continued to look from face to face, taking in the determination on each face before she resigned herself to do anything to help them. "Still…I don't like this. But…it's past time the King was taken care of."

Master Splinter walked to her side and placed a paw on her shoulder "Mrs. Jones, thank you for your assistance, we will undoubtedly call on you in the future…Now, will the young man hiding on the stairs reveal himself?"

April whirled around, already having an idea of who the eavesdropper was, "Aww man. You caught me. Now let me in on the action. I've got some payback to deliver to _his Highness_." April groaned, looks like Casey woke up and refused to wait around. She waited for her idiot of a husband to come downstairs and wasn't left waiting long.

A few seconds after his reply the group heard an "OOF" and were left to witness his spectacular entrance when he fell down the stairs and landed on his face. Simply getting up as if it were an everyday occurrence and saying "Hey now my name's Casey".

And in true Casey fashion he marched right over to Raph and challenged "Now how do I know you have what it takes tough guy, I don't want you dragging me down after all, ya are a _turtle_" Raph smirked, stood at his full height, cracked his knuckles, motioned to Casey's latest injuries and growled "What ya implying you bonehead? Ya obviously can't do much yourself if you're all cut up and that King's still sittin on his throne."

Casey's smirk fell of his face and he growled a return before leaping straight at Raph with fists flying. The two wrestled on the floor, shouting insults at each other while trying to get a decent hit in.

Mikey and Leatherhead watched slightly amused while April, Leo, and Master Splinter all groaned and covered their eyes, they all simultaneously thought "Not _another_ one! We're all doomed!"

April waited for someone to separate the two before they destroyed her bakery but no one moved, growing more irritated by the second she curled her fists and knocked them both upside the head "CASEY JONES! RAPH! Stop this this instant!" They both stared open mouthed. Nursing their heads they leaned toward each other and whispered "Wow she's scary" "Yep." They smirked and punched the other on the shoulder; grinning like loons they said "Hey, you ain't so bad after all".

The rest of the group simply sighed before Leo said "So April, you were saying? What do you know about the King?" April looked up from where she was re-arranging the tipped over stools and a thoughtful look came over her face. "Well, no one really knows too much about him. He has always been in the shadows, always sends others to do his dirty work. Around 6-7 years ago he rounded up all the doctors and trapped them in the castle. Some tried to escape but never succeeded…once someone's taken…they never return and no one ever hears from them. It's rumored that the King is making the doctors work on some sort of strange experiment"

April shivered "In the past…anyone who came to challenge the King's rule…they would be taken and dissected…their bodies…or pieces of their bodies would be left in the middle of town as an example to the rest of us" The groups faces darkened considerably, their opponent was dangerous, they would need to be fully prepared if they wanted to take him on.

April continued on stating that "It's said that the doctors work to improve the King's body, apparently his body is dying and he has the strongest sorcerers at his disposal to keep him alive" Master Splinter interrupted, looking greatly worried he asked "Mrs. Jones, how powerful are these sorcerers, we have fought against the arts before but never any of significant skill" Leatherhead joined the conversation saying "This is troublesome, I know only some spells, I'm afraid that it is nothing that would be of too great an advantage in battle". April sighed, "I'm sorry but we don't know how powerful he is. If it's of any help I dabble a bit in magic…I can see places I have never been and I know what the people in those places are doing, I haven't had the chance to improve my ability though so it can be unreliable…We also have some spell books upstairs that specialize in allusions and cures".

Leatherhead stood, "May I please study these books? They could be of great use to us" April nodded and told him that it was the second room to the left and then watched as he ascended the stairs and disappeared from sight. April then confirmed that she knew nothing else on the King and Master Splinter thanked her for the information she had already given them.

Leo glanced out the window, the sky was clear, more customers were already entering the shop and Leo guessed that many more would begin coming to the bakery soon. "Master Splinter? May we go train in the woods?" Master Splinter nodded his consent as Raph and Mikey groaned their annoyance.

April didn't hear his request as she busily fetched loafs of bread for the growing line of customers at the counter, she didn't have the chance to warn them of the dangers of the forest…or of _who _they might find there.

The brothers fetched the weapons they had hidden in the room upstairs and exited the bakery. They quickly made their way through the kingdom, ignoring the stares they received as they went about their way. When they reached the forests edge they were slightly surprised to see groups of children running about and then another group returning from the forest with disappointed looks.

When the children noticed the newcomers they rushed up to the turtles and clambered about asking questions "Who are you?" "Are you new here?" "Medicine Man isn't near today" "Mr. Phantom only helps kids out of the forest, you can't go in their now!" The overlapping voices all combined together but the last statement drew the brothers' attention.

Mikey hopped over to the small six year human child and knelt down so that he could make eye contact before asking "Who would this Phantom be?" The child looked confused and said "He's the Medicine Man!" Mikey, having a soft spot for all kids patiently asked "Ok so who's the Medicine Man?" The child replied with twinkling eyes "He helps Mommy and Daddy get better after the guards break the town, he leaves all us kids toys on the windowsills! He gave me a rolling toy!"

Leo was thoroughly confused now, went over and knelt by his brother "But _who _is he?" at this question all the children laughed. "Don't be silly! No one _knows_ who he is!" The brothers remained bewildered, who were the children talking about? Raph's patience ran out and he said "Leo, lets just go, if we meet anyone we can take 'em." At the sound of Raph stomping into the brush Leo sighed and nodded for Mikey to follow Raph.

With one more worried glance at the village Leo walked into the forest.

The brothers had only walked for a little while before finding a small clearing to meditate and practice a few Katas in. After completing this at a level Leo was satisfied with, they decided to finish the session with a "game".

It was Mikey's turn to choose and after he declared his choice to be hide 'n seek Leo and Raph took off to hide. "98, 99, 100! Ok Bros, the champion is coming to find you!" Mikey jumped off the log he had been standing on and raced into the woods, he listened carefully, pausing when he heard leaves rustle to his right.

Mikey kept muttering to himself, acting like he hadn't heard anything before leaping at the spot he heard movement come from, his ears were correct because a second later he and Raph were tumbling out of the tree branches. "AGH, MIKEY!" Raph yelled to cover up his irritation at being discovered first and thwacked Mike on the head. Mikey just grinned and said "Oki doki, now it's time to find Leo!"

The pair continued on their way but stopped in a small clearing when they saw a flash of green skin. "….Leo…?" They stalked toward the green thing but halted when in their peripheral vision they saw Leo walk out from behind a willow on the other side of the clearing. Leo was at their side in an instant, motioning to be careful as they approached the area where the saw the green blur.

A low growl suddenly erupted a few feet away and they barely had time to react as a large black wolf leapt out at them, they jumped back, getting into a defensive stance as the snarling creature stepped closer, its emerald green eyes flashing. It leapt again trying to bite at Leo and Raph's forearms while Mikey barely registered a whistling sound as he dodged the diving form that appeared near his head. Caught off balance he shrieked and stumbled back.

Upon hearing Mike's cry and seeing the white bird diving at their brother Leo and Raph tried to reach him. Just as they were about to leap at the bird a figure dressed in a concealing brown cloak jumped into their path. The figure swung what looked to be a bo and when Leo and Raph went to retaliate the wolf leapt onto Raph's shell, the unexpected weight dragging him to the ground.

Leo was left staring alone at the hooded figure in front of him. He raised his swords and lunged but the figure simply ducked before using his bo to block Leo's next attack. Leo mentally praised the strangers defensive ability before twisting around at the sound of cursing directed at the fuzzy monstrosity who was nipping lightly at Raph's heals and dodging Raph's attacks almost playfully.

Distracted Leo couldn't dodge the sweeping bo that knocked him off his feet. Mikey was having a similar problem to Raph, the bird kept pecking his head but would immediately fly off whenever Mike tried to reach for him. The swooping bird-a hawk Mikey realized, and a really well trained hawk at that, made another dive for his mask. The hawk ripped off a piece when Mikey tripped on an uprooted root. He fell to the ground with a yelp and his brothers turned their attention to him.

While the three were distracted, the cloaked figure disappeared into the treetops as the wolf raced from sight. Mikey's own opponent, the hawk was rapidly vanishing from vision as well leaving Mikey on the ground without any serious injuries. Raph stood and examined his own injuries, only seeing light bite marks scattering his heals.

Leo with a somewhat stunned expression stared lost in thought at where the figure disappeared into the trees. The brothers exchanged a glance and Raph pulled Mike to his feet. They were all feeling a wound to their pride at being taken by surprise by a single cloaked figure, a fuzzy mutt and the small white aerial attacker. Leo broke the silence, "I think we just met the Phantom, we need to return to Master Splinter and try to learn more about our cloaked visitor". Mike and Raph nodded sheepishly and the trio returned the way they came. Each thinking about the strange encounter in the clearing.

Meanwhile…Don raced through the forest, Keaton and Fira were by his side but he was panicking. They had seen him! Clearly seen him, well maybe not his actual face but they had seen him fight! They had seen Fira and Keaton! What if they worked for the King?...What if they don't!? Don knew that he would have to be extra careful now. He didn't know if they would try to find him and he had no clue what they wanted.

He had been so startled by the red and orange masked ones…he had woken up to loud voices and the light crunching of leaves on the forest floor. At first he thought he was dreaming. Especially since the intruders were turtles, but then Keaton's growling brought him back to reality and Don had whistled for Fira to distract them.

Don thought back to the brief encounter, they were good at combat, Donnie knew that they had been holding back quite a bit and he was thankful that they hadn't actually hurt Fira or Keaton. Hearing a shriek Donnie looked up and caught the orange material that dropped from Fira's talons. He looked it over carefully, realizing that it was a piece of the orange one's mask. He clutched it tightly as he arrived at the hidden cave entrance and slipped into his home. Descending the stairs two at a time he concluded that he would try to learn of the newcomers tonight during his rounds. He would search them out, he felt a little guilty about the bite and scratch marks that the turtles received during the scuffle…he would give them some salves if it turned out that they didn't work for the King.

It would be a few more hours before he could go to the village…Don decided to pass the time by tinkering with his inventions. Momentarily distracted from his worry Donnie started constructing some toys for the cat children whose birthdays were coming up. He would worry about the presence of the new fighters later. They wouldn't be able to find him if they tried, not unless he came to them and chose to reveal himself. Don laughed, that notion was extremely unlikely.

Once the brothers reached April's bakery, they slipped up the stairs unnoticed and sought out their Father. They found Master Splinter sitting with Leatherhead discussing past encounters with sorcerers they had both had. Leo walked into the room "Father, something unexpected occurred during training." Splinter turned his full attention to the three standing by the door and signaled for Leo to continue his report. "We were training when we saw a figure hiding in the trees. When we approached we were attacked by a large black wolf and a white hawk. The cloaked figure only interfered when the hawk was in danger but the person seemed skilled in combat. I think his only intention was to escape and use the wolf and hawk as a distraction." Master Splinter frowned, "Were any of you injured?" Raph answered quickly "Naw Master, only some small bite marks and some scratches on Mike's head" "I see, well it seems another factor has just been added into the equation let us ask Mrs. Jones about this…?" "Phantom, Father, the children called him the Medicine Man" Splinter raised a brow in question but continued speaking "Yes, then, let us wait until Mrs. Jones closes the bakery before we ask if they can enlighten us about this figure. For now, find something to occupy yourselves with."

The hours passed by at an agonizingly slow pace for the three very bored turtles, when April finally closed the bakery Mikey felt tempted to jump up and celebrate. April's soft footfalls accompanied by Casey's much louder stomps echoed in the quiet home, when they reached the kitchen where everyone was waiting April looked questioningly at the new scratches on Mikey's head and waited for someone to speak.

Casey decided that the quiet was getting creepy and glanced at Raph before stating "Hey guys, what's up? Something happen?" Raph and Mikey looked to Leo, pushing the task of storyteller onto his shoulders. Leo pinched the bridge of his nose and began recounting the tale, "April, Casey, do you know about anyone who lives in the forest? Who happens to be good at fighting with well trained animal companions?" He looked up, maintaining eye contact with the couple while the small group waited. The travelers were startled to see April paling and Casey looking incredibly nervous.

Raph spoke up this time, tired of beating around the bush he gruffly said "Well who is he? Does he work for the King?" Their hosts rapidly shook their heads and Casey replied "No way Bro. Medicine Man doesn't work for anyone, but are you saying that you actually saw him? Fought him?"

Mikey joined into the conversation, "Yeah! The dude was like, swish with his stick-thing and then he whistled and his giant mutt sidekick attacked Raph while this hawk swooped out of nowhere and attacked me!" Leo, exasperated with Mikey's description added "They didn't actually hurt you, not badly but yes this 'Medicine Man' seemed to be fairly skilled with the bo."

Casey looked shocked, "Well…no one has really confronted him before, the most people see is a small glance, we've never seen him before though, right April?" April fidgeted and seemed to hesitate before calmly saying "Casey…after the rampage you were injured and I didn't have the supplies to help you, he was here last night. I accidentally saw him leaving."

Casey gaped, "And you didn't tell me!" Master Splinter interrupted Casey's rant to ask "Does he mean us harm? It sounds as if seeing him in your home is normal" April chuckled quietly… "Well no, seeing him isn't normal, but having him enter houses at night is. He tends to the injured after each rampage…he has never hurt anyone from the village so he isn't believed to be dangerous…we didn't know he had animal helpers and we just kind of assumed that he lived in the woods"

The brothers sat silently, taking in the new information. Mikey looked at his two older brothers, "Guys, I think we should try to get him to help us, he fought well and if he helps the villagers when they're hurt he can't be that bad."

Leo and Raph nodded but April jumped in "Um, I don't know if you'll be able to find him, he came here four years ago and no one has ever talked to him" Leo's mind was wondering but he responded "Well it never hurts to try" and no one argued with him.

Leatherhead stepped forward, "Mrs. Jones, would you be able to find him with your ability? You might be able to track him..?" April stilled and took a few moments to think the possibility over before nodding slowly. "I'll try my best" Casey whooped and yelled "Finally we are getting somewhere! The King is going DOWN!" The rest of the room's occupants smiled and April exclaimed "Well! Now or never! Let's give this a go!"

**Well, I'm a bit unsure about the addition of magic, but it should work out more smoothly this way…alsoo it will center on Donnie again soon but for this part it made more sense to focus on the others. Again any pointers? Any complaints? **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the delay, my family decided that today was the day for a massive cleaning spree. Thank you for reading! The next chapter will be up more quickly. **

Donnie silently traveled through the trees, leaping onto the village rooftops once he reached the forests edge. He had restocked his medical bag with the herbs that Fira and Keaton brought back and now he was working on his second emergency round. He was lucky that he had been able to hit so many houses the night before, tonight there were only a few that he needed to visit.

After attending to the injured townspeople Don began jumping from roof to roof, using all of his heightened senses to try to locate the newcomers. Don had been almost full circle in the Kingdom and he only had a an two hours left before daylight when he came across the Jones household and heard numerous conversations, more than there should be in a household for two. Don circled the house, searching for the best place to spy and finally decided on a second floor window near a large oak tree. Donnie silently sat on the rooftop directly above the cracked window and waited for the intermingling conversations to separate for his racing mind.

Closing his eyes he centered all focus on the occupants inside. Gradually the many mumbling sounds turned into understandable sentences and Donnie began following the conversation and immediately recognized the aggravated voice to be April's "Why won't this work! I have tried everything and I can't find him!"

Slightly perplexed Donnie wondered who they were looking for, did one of the newcomers get lost? "Mrs. Jones, maybe I could be of assistance, meditating can help with these things" April sat down, willing to try anything to get her ability to work "Ok Master Splinter, so what do I do now?" "Just relax, clear your mind, allow the agitation to leave your body."

The room was quiet now, it was making Donnie kind of anxious…he heard this "Master Splinter" begin again "Try to think about what you know about his character, choose one or two main traits to think about and a string of color will appear. This will be his spirit. Try to trace the string but don't break the connection" the silence returned again, then without warning April was speaking "I'm starting to see…the Kingdom, now it's the east side…I seem to be following some sort of path west, I seem to be stopping every now and then, wait now it's the old oak, and shingles on a rooftop, he's not moving anymore"

Outside Don remained frozen. That was the route _he_ took earlier. And seeing the old oak…that's where he was _right now! _Before he could rush away he heard pebbles and stones moving below, he glanced around the side of the house and looked down, guards, three guards were walking his way. That's impossible! None of the routes went through this area at this time of night, they should be two blocks away! What were they doing here!?

Donnie briefly heard April exclaiming that "This isn't right, that's…the oak right outside my home, I must have switched over to sights I see everyday myself" Donnie sighed in relief but his heart stopped when he heard the reply "No Miss Jones I believe that someone might be near, I didn't notice his presence before, he seems to be quite skilled." Donnie's heart was hammering in his chest, the guards were getting closer and the one called Master Splinter knew he was here! He went to make a getaway on the neighboring roof when he slipped. A loose shingle broke off under his weight and fell to the ground, making a loud clunking sound on the stone pathway. Donnie remained perfectly still, hoping with all his heart that the guards didn't hear it, his pleas went unheard because in the next moment yelling was heard. "THIS WAY, SOMETHING'S TRAVELING ON THE ROOFS!" So much for that.

He scrambled back to his feet and went leaping by the window trying to escape. Mid-jump a hand came out and grabbed his cloak, Donnie found himself tumbling through the now wide open window and falling to the floor on the inside as he heard the guards rush by outside. Looking up he was met with the shocked faces of the three turtles, a rat, a crocodile, and the Jones couple. Desperately scanning the room for an escape he mentally cursed the crocodile for blocking the stairs, wait….Crocodile? …Leatherhead? He didn't have a chance to voice the name because he was tackled back to the ground by the red banded one , he struggled viciously kicking out at the turtle and lashing out at anyone that came too close, but the blue banded one was suddenly by his side, holding a sword to his neck as he said quietly "Stop struggling, if you promise to behave we will let you stand up, nod if you understand"

Don really didn't like the idea of surrendering so easily but he nodded, planning to leap out the window as soon as he was free. The red one got off of him and Don dove for the window, only to run into the orange one beak first. Ouch. He fell back onto the floor and stared, the orange one seemed to be having a blast "Hey dude, that's gotta hurt, I wouldn't do that, Raph's ready to tackle you again, that's if Leo doesn't get you first, and our giant crocodile friend is blocking the stairs"

Donnie whirled around, getting his first good look at the giant crocodile standing with his arms crossed at the entrance to the stairs leading to freedom. Don's mind blanched, Leatherhead. He was alive. Don let out a squeak of shock.

All the occupants in the room stared at him in concern, did the "Medicine Man" just squeak? Casey spoke "Hey ah, you ok there?" The group continued to stare but the mysterious cloaked figure only continued to look at Leatherhead, they couldn't see his expression, some how his hood had managed to stay on his head.

The brothers stepped back to give the stranger some space, they regretted the decision a moment later when the cloaked figure lunged at Leatherhead, Raph growled and Leo and Mikey shouted "NO!" while Master Splinter lunged forward and the Jones couple gasped. They all halted a second later when instead of attacking Leatherhead, who hadn't had enough time to react, the figure was hugging him around the middle.

They all stopped. Leatherhead exchanged glances of confusion with the rest of the room's occupants before he went to pull the stranger off of him. Just as he was about to tug the stranger away the cloaked figure spoke in a raspy voice "Leatherhead! You-you-you're alive! I thought you were dead! You didn't come back!".

Leatherhead's eyes had widened and he slowly pulled the shaking stranger's hood off to reveal an olive green skinned turtle, wearing a purple mask in the same fashion as the brother's. Leatherhead dropped to the ground and hugged the mystery turtle tight, "Donatello! I have finally found you!"

Master Splinter walked forward, calm now that the stranger wasn't attacking and asked "Leatherhead, do you know this person?" Leatherhead looked up, remembering for the first time that he was not alone and quickly stood, still holding "Donatello" "Yes, he….he is the child that I lost long ago, I was grieving his disappearance when I met you". The other three turtles just stared gape mouthed, this was Donnie? They could all vividly remember the emotional mess that Leatherhead had been and could easily recall the name.

"Donnie" lifted his head and took a cautious wary glance around the room before climbing down from Leatherhead's hold. He ducked his head and stared at the floor…these people were with Leatherhead, that means he could trust them right?

He continued avoiding the stares of everyone in the room and jumped startled when April spoke "Donatello…? Thank you so much. You have been helping this Kingdom for so long, you have saved so many lives… I could never hope to repay you, all I can do is say thank you" Casey joined in "Yeah…what she said. You really saved all them kids…kept up their hope and helped keep everyone alive when times got rough". Donnie looked up and fought against his instinct to run, he made hesitant, nervous eye contact and gave a small, shy smile in reply. After making sure the Jones couple recognized his own form of gratitude he turned toward the rest of the room, stopping on the three brothers.

Leo couldn't believe this, the stranger in the woods was a turtle! Any further thoughts were interrupted by Mikey who jumped toward the turtle and yelled happily, "You're just like us! You're kinda scrawny though" Don looked offended, after all living as a street urchin he hadn't been able to get a ton of food, and as he opened his mouth to object Raph walked over saying"So, what was with the attack in the woods? I've got canine bite marks all over my legs!" At this, Donnie looked guilty, then his expression seemed to light up a bit as he reached for his bag. Raph, Leo and Mikey all stiffened slightly but relaxed when the new turtle only presented Raph and Mikey with a little package, he looked hopeful as Raph reached out and took it, Leo wondering what it was walked over as well, Raph and Mikey opened the packages and looked up slightly bewildered, "Uh thanks, now what do I do with it?" Mikey stated, Donnie seemed to roll his eyes before he took the package and dipped his finger into the gooey stuff inside. He then grabbed Mike's head and dragged him in his direction, he ignored the yelps Mike made and rubbed the cream-like goo onto his head, making sure to cover all the scratches. He let go of Mikey and grinned shyly.

Leo recognized the movement and said "Mike it's a salve, it'll help the scratches" Mike looked back and forth between Leo and Donnie and gave Donnie a wide smile "Thanks Dude".

Leo and Raph simply shook their heads, muttering the nickname knucklehead and chuckling. Master Splinter moved forward, once he had each turtles attention Master Splinter smiled and began "Well, it seems like introductions need to be made, Leonardo?" Leo stepped forward and began gesturing to each individual as he named them "I am Leonardo, these are my brothers Raphael and Michelangelo and this is our Master Splinter, you obviously already know Leatherhead and the Jones family'"

Donnie's eyes had followed each gesture and when Leo was finished he attempted to introduce himself after but he seemed to be having slight difficulty speaking, he was finally able to voice "I am Donatello, it is nice to meet you". The rest of the people in the room smiled at him and some of Donnie's nervousness washed away. Don turned towards Leatherhead and was again embraced in a giant crocodile hug, just as he was about to respond a pounding sound came from downstairs and Don rushed to look out the window, the sun was coming up, he had to leave NOW.

Don was just about to leap out when someone grabbed his shoulder. Turning around he saw that it was Raph, while Leo, Mikey, Leatherhead and master Splinter stood on his other side.

April and Casey had already disappeared downstairs and the group could hear a loud harsh voice saying "Last night the wanted criminal "Medicine Man" was spotted in the area. We are doing a mandatory check of all the houses in the area, open up. We have heard that you are letting travelers room here, are they here right now?"

Master Splinter quietly told us that he asked the couple to say that all except Leatherhead had gone out, in the meantime they would go to the forest where no one could interrupt their planning and Leatherhead would meet up with the group later. Don nodded and jumped into the oak branches, he waited patiently for everyone to follow.

Once the group was safely outside he signaled for them to follow as he jumped from roof to roof before leaping into an alleyway. Not many people were out yet; they had already escaped April's block so they should be fine. As quietly as possible the group moved to the edge of the village, quickly disappearing into the foliage the three turtles and rat followed the phantom.

Donnie felt like he was dreaming, he was actually taking people into his home.

As he neared the area surrounding his home Donnie whistled, soon the crashing sound of Keaton could be heard and Don was soon being smothered by his large furry friend. Donnie laughed as Keaton licked his face, tail wagging wildly and gently pushed Keaton off of him. He shook his head when Keaton whined betrayed when Fira landed on Don's shoulder. Keaton's whine turned into a low growl and Fira's feathers fluffed up as they noticed that Don was not alone.

Leo, Raph and Mikey looked on nervously although Master Splinter only stared waiting for the two creatures to relax.

Don put a hand on Keaton's back and smoothed Fira's feathers while whispering to them that the group was ok, they were new friends and that Fira and Keaton could not attack them. The reaction was instantaneous. Keaton ran over to Raph and barked happily while Fira flew over Mikey's head to land on his shoulder.

Keaton was leaping between Raph and Leo, rubbing his head on one and then switching to the other repeatedly while Fira chirped and did the same to Mikey. Donnie grinned at their expressions and nearly dubbled over when Raph shouted "This was the vicious mutt that attacked me?! This big fluffball!?"

The three brothers and Master Splinter couldn't help the smiles that appeared on their faces as the purple banded turtle laughed, it was a nice sound, much better to see than the nervous shaking turtle that they met at the bakery. Once Donnie had quieted his laughter he explained that he had trained the duo in case he needed assistance if he got attacked by enemies, workers sent by the King. "I didn't know who you were but since you were carrying weapons I deemed you a threat and called Keaton and Fira in for help."

Leo looked fascinated "Keaton means 'place of hawks' or 'where hawks fly' right? Is that why you chose the name?" He motioned to Fira who was perched on Keaton's head as he sat wagging his tail. "Yes, Fira did that the first time they met and it just kind of worked" Donnie smiled at the memory but continued on "Anyway, we should probably get going, follow me". Donnie raced off with Fira flying overhead and Keaton at his side as the rest of the group followed close behind.

Donnie finally reached the entrance to his home and motioned the rest over. Fira flew to a nearby branch and Keaton seated himself below the same tree to nap.

Donnie waited until the group was at his side before slipping through the hidden crack, he heard Mikey yell "COOL, I've always wanted to explore a hidden liar!" and paused until he knew everyone was inside before walking forward, taking the path that went left.. right…right…and then came to what looked like a dead end.

Looked over his shoulder he noticed that Leo and Raph looked like they wanted to say something so he stopped and waited. Raph asked "Donnie…how did you find this place?" and Leo joined in "This is so well hidden, if we weren't following you we would have never found it" Donnie grinned "You haven't seen anything yet Leo, and Raph, well I was hiding from the King's guards and fell through the first entrance on accident…after some exploring I found this" Don pointed at the rock wall in front of him and Mikey asked "Ah sorry to be the one to tell you Donnie but that's a wall" Donnie rolled his eyes and thanked Raph when he thwacked Mike's head.

Donnie circled around the side of the rock wall and disappeared from sight. The remaining group cautiously following in Don's footsteps as they traveled deeper into the caves depths.


	5. Chapter 5

**If I have a few more mistakes than usual…I had a rough day. Anywayyy a thanks to everyone that reviewed! I really like seeing the feedback and positive comments, your enthusiasm for the next chapter brightens my day :D Thanks again! Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

The small group stared dumbfounded at the sight of the enormous underground cave which Donnie explained was the main room but also doubled as his bedroom. Donnie grabbed Raph's arm and tugged the group through to the infirmary, the kitchen, and the bathroom before racing to what looked to be a maze of underground caves and gleefully saying "I never thought I would actually be able to use these rooms but…" Master Splinter and the brothers looked around in awe, there were numerous guest ready rooms down here, each had a bed, table, mini dresser and a small bookshelf with a lamp. They all turned to Donnie.

Raph, Leo and Mike glanced at each other as they were overtaken by an uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Master Splinter spoke gently "Donatello, how long have you lived here?" Donnie looked at them confused "Around four years, why?" Mikey broke in "Have you…been down here on your own for all that time?" Now Donnie seemed to get their concern, his smile faltered slightly "..Well..yeah but it's all ok, I had Keaton and Fira and I've been on my own for most of my life so I can take care of myself.." Raph looked away from the handmade furniture and asked "What do ya mean you've been alone? I thought ya were with Leatherhead?" Don looked nervously away from their gazes, "I was, kinda, for a little over two years" "Then where were ya the rest of your life?" Don paused… "Around…jumping from place to place…I don't know if I ever got a bounty but I got into plenty of fights and stole often.."

Leo kept his face straight as he asked a question that he _needed _an answer too "So you are a thief and skilled at fighting…have you ever taken lives?" Halting completely Donnie turned back and stared him in the eye, taking a deep breath he answered "Yes. I have killed before. I hate watching people die and I hate ending someone's life, all life is precious and a miracle but sometimes…there is no other way." Don knew he was babbling slightly and waited for a response; disgust maybe, anything but Leo only stared right back before finally giving a nod of acceptance.

Leo wasn't sure if he fully trusted Donnie yet. He really wanted to but after years of hunting people who tricked others into believing they were kind and caring he couldn't trust immediately. Don seemed kind and he helped the Kingdom but, they really didn't know anything about him. What if, in the years that he was separated from Leatherhead Don changed and he was just hiding a dangerous criminal behind kind actions?

Raph was also feeling conflicted, he knew that Leo wasn't ready to trust Donnie yet. The worrywart. Well that's what Raph would normally say…if he wasn't worried too. Raph didn't trust easy, that was Mikey's job, but he found himself growing more and more irritated with the realization that he wanted more than anything to trust Donnie. Raph needed Don to prove he was trustworthy, prove that Raph could put his brother's lives in Don's hands and Don would protect them with his own life. Raph could only wait and watch for now.

As Mikey watched his brother's faces switch back and forth conflicted he couldn't help but trust Donnie. Even if Don was a thief Mike couldn't judge him because he didn't know the full story. Mikey thought over what he knew so far, Donnie helped children, saved lives and had some very loyal wild animal friends. Mikey was usually an excellent judge of character, no matter what his brother's thought and the feeling he got around Donnie was "good", so he had no problem with trusting him right off the bat. For now, he would try to keep his distance a little bit just to help some of his brother's uneasiness at being around a stranger.

Master Splinter silently observed each of his son's facial expressions, he had a pretty good idea of what they were thinking and even though he was certain that Donatello was trustworthy he had to let his children make their own decisions and come to a conclusion on their own. But first, his sons had to remember that sometimes death could not be avoided, they themselves have killed many but they would need the reminder that just because Donatello has killed didn't automatically make him untrustworthy.

He cut through the new tension saying "I believe that if Donatello has killed, then he truly did not see any other way to resolve the conflict, it would not be an unnecessary death" Everyone in the cave seemed to relax a bit and Donnie looked like a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. Donnie felt free now. Free from the past, free from the never-ending guilt. Smiling, Donnie suggested that the group sit at the kitchen table to plan, it had the most room and a nice flat space for writing any ideas on.

Unfortunately, the group never did get to planning…Mikey found some of Donnie's finished inventions and had been playing with them for over an hour somehow dragging Raph and Leo into the mess in the process.

Donnie had given up on regaining their attention and instead decided to talk to Master Splinter. They had talked about anything from food to herbs, Don had impressed Master Splinter with his knowledge but after speaking non-stop for twenty minutes Don decided to ask Master Splinter some questions himself.

"So…what was April doing when you realized I was spying on you..?" "Mrs. Jones was attempting to track you using her magical abilities, though it seems that instead of going to you, you came to us instead" "Oh…magic? I have heard about it but I haven't seen anyone use it before, how does it work?" "Magic itself isn't very rare. Anyone can learn basic spells and tricks to earn some money however it is rare for someone to awaken any larger abilities. Mrs. Jones' ability is of the rarer variety, I do not know what happened to awaken her powers but for many…an emotionally wrenching event must occur. Others are lucky and they are simply able to 'unlock' their powers, if a person does have a stronger ability then spells can be learned to enhance it and train it to a more powerful level" "So even I could learn if I tried?" "Yes some everyday spells you could learn easily, those simply require much concentration but, I can not tell you if you have any hidden power. That is something you must find out on your own." "Ok Master Splinter, um I have another inquiry, did you teach Leo, Raph and Mikey how to fight?" "Yes they have been learning since they were simply toddlers, but that reminds me, my sons mentioned that you are a very skilled fighter, could you show me?" "Um well….I mainly taught myself…I had too…when I show you how I fight…could you maybe show me different techniques?" Master Splinter smiled and nodded "Yes of course, any willing student is welcomed with open arms".

Donnie grinned and stood up. He guided Master Splinter to a small dusty room hidden behind the many guest rooms where blankets and pillows lined the floor. "I train here sometimes, when I can't go outside."

Donnie then proceeded to pick up his bo, performing well practiced twirls and swipes, Don began imagining himself in a real fight and practiced defending and attacking an actual enemy. He dodged and leaped and swiped never noticing that Leo, Raph and Mikey had entered the mini training room.

The small family watched as Don challenged an imaginary foe and marveled at the various forms and skills he used. When Don stopped and noticed they were there he halted his movements and the brothers could see a small blush forming on his face. Master Splinter saved him from his embarrassment when he stood and walked over stating that "Without outside assistance or a teacher you have done extraordinarily well."

Master Splinter spent the next few hours demonstrating new attacks and stances for Donnie who soaked every movement up like a sponge. He learned quickly and although Master Splinter or one of the brothers had to help to adjust his position every now and then he was a fantastic student. Donnie could only attribute his quick learning to the many dire situations he had gotten himself into in the past while stealing and fighting on the streets and was thankful that he had at least one positive aspect from his years alone.

When Master Splinter suggested that the group call it a day, Donnie slowly realized how much time had passed since he had first brought the group into his home and began rushing about. He reached the entrance to his home and shouted back "I need to go find Leatherhead and Mrs. and Mr. Jones so that I can bring them here, I'll be back soon!"

Donnie didn't bother taking his bo, he was only going to fetch them and bring them back so, not waiting for a reply he dashed out of the hidden cave startling Keaton and Fira who were still resting in the trees. Don took a shortcut to the edge of the forest nearest the Jones' house and ordered Keaton to hide underneath a blackberry bush while Fira flew to the very top branches and waited for Donnie to join her.

Climbing high into the trees Donnie enjoyed the cool breeze and clear blue sky while he watched for any sight of the couple or his old teacher. In the quiet of the treetops Don got lost in his thoughts. The last few days had been…amazing…incredible...new people were in his life now and Don wasn't willing to let them go, even if he hadn't fully gained their trust yet.

The sound of screaming broke him out of his daze and Donnie looked down to see that the houses in the west were on fire.

Don had only one goal in mind as he raced through the forest to the destruction. Find them. Save them. He refused to fail this time. He vaguely heard the thud of Keaton's footfalls or the rustle of Fira's feathers as they ran/flew beside him, he only noticed the children crying and rushing into the forest, the King's men who were smiling, laughing, clapping each other on the back and celebrating a job well done.

Another _rampage. _

This didn't make any sense, this area just had a rampage and attacks weren't usually so close together but even if Donnie knew this to be true there was no denying the once clear blue sky turning dull gray with smoke, the flames licking at house after house. Don had had enough. Never before had the King ordered such a large fire. Even if the guards saw him Don would save these people.

Rushing into the chaos Don quickly sought out any children, seeing two huddling trapped under a toppled pillar Donnie ran to their side. He gently hushed them and whispered words of promise and comfort as freed them from the pillar's hold. Calling Keaton to his side Donnie put the children on his back and ordered Keaton to escape to the other children in the forest. Once the wolf disappeared from view Donnie continued his search, he managed to clear the area he was in and was just about to escape himself when he heard a battle cry.

Looking over Don saw Mikey dodge a man with a club while holding one of the cat children. Donnie momentarily wondered when Mike arrived and if the others were here too but his mind was soon brought back to the fight when he realized that even though Mikey escaped the first man, he didn't realize that he had jumped right into the path of another. As the man raised a hammer to strike, Don leaped. The power from his jump pushing the man and himself into another area, Don's actions gave Mike time to escape but Mikey glanced anxiously between Donnie and the crying child before Don yelled "GO. There might be more kids trapped! I will be fine, you have to save them!" At that statement Mikey ran off, leaving Donnie to face off with the armed man. Don resolved to never leave his bo behind again.

When the guard attacked Don barely dodged the large hammer aimed at his head and then managed to block the fist that followed while retaliating with a strong kick to the man's stomach. The guard's following cry alerted his buddies and they were all making their way over to the scuffle. Donnie was soon surrounded by ten armed men and rather than wasting time fighting them all and burning to death, Donnie leaped up grabbing a swinging shop sign and used his momentum to launch himself onto what was left of the rooftop.

He could feel the shingles rapidly warming and Don knew he had to act fast, looking around he spotted a small stony area at the edge of the fire's reach. Stepping back Don prepared to leap and took a running head start, reaching the edge of the roof he pushed off and began tucking his head in to protect his body as he landed in a roll. Thinking he was free from danger Donnie stood up to look back at the destruction.

Don expected to see broken homes and charred remains but he didn't expect a man to be lunging at him with a sword, and he never expected the screaming worried voices of Leo, Raph, Mikey, Master Splinter, Leatherhead, April and Casey as he stumbled back and fell to the ground. Nope not at all. Don closed his eyes. He already knew that he didn't have enough time to react and he waited for the sound of steel penetrating flesh, for the excruciating pain he knew would follow. Instead, his heart stopped when he heard a yelp.

Snapping his eyes open, Don goes cold when he saw the unmoving lump of black fur and a furious guard. Don doesn't even register his actions when he takes a rock and bashes the man on the head, nor does he realize that Fira landed on his shoulder with the rest of the group rushing up behind him. He only hugs Keaton's body closer and flinches when Keaton lets out a heartbreaking whimper. Keaton couldn't be dying. It wasn't possible. NO. No. No. no no no no no.

Donnie's been able to move forward from every tragedy in his life, it's how he managed to survive against the odds but sitting there, looking at the sword poking out of Keaton fur his mind shatters. He heart cracks. Don loses it. He screams and a flash of pure white light erupts. The group standing weary and heartbroken behind him has to shield their eyes as Donnie and Keaton's forms are engulfed in blinding light. When the light dies down Donnie falls on his side, leaving a shrieking Fira to hover over his unconscious body.

Leo, Raph, and Mikey step forward, Mikey gently cradles Fira in his arms as Leo checks Donnie for a pulse, Leo sighs in relief and moves to pick up the un-moving form when Raph lets out a startled yell. Keaton is whimpering but when the rest of the group dashes over, the same white light Donnie emitted is circling Keaton's wound. The wound grows steadily smaller and smaller to the astonishment of all present and when the light finally dies away, Keaton is only left with a large scar on his belly.

Fira escapes Mikey's grasp and lands on Keaton's neck, snapping at his ears with her sharp beak when he refuses to get up. Keaton seems to finally come to his senses and Fira stops her painful pecking to shriek in joy. Keaton barks and clambers to his feet before putting his nose in the air, sniffing repeatedly he whirls around and limps to Don's side to lick his face and whine. The rest of the group can't decide between laughing at the insanity of it all or to start crying in relief.

Casey, Raph and Mikey choose to laugh like maniacs, some of their shouts sounding like choked off sobs as April openly smiles through her tears and Leatherhead and Master Splinter watch the entire thing, all feeling completely and utterly exhausted from their emotional crusade.

Master Splinter speaks saying sternly that the group needs to return to the safety of Donnie's home before more of the King's guards arrive. The group nods in agreement and Raph carries Donnie who throughout the entire thing remained unconscious, completely oblivious to the chaos and worry he caused. As the group travels through the forest Fira refuses to leave Keaton and Keaton refuses to leave Donnie, this results in Raph tripping over the giant mutt and muttering curses every few steps while Mikey teases him about his balance.

The small group finally arrives at the cave and Master Splinter brings up the rear as he ensures that the correct paths are taken into the hidden home. Fira and Keaton choose to enter as well and rush into the cave leaving Leatherhead, April and Casey to stop and stare wide-eyed and open mouthed when they see the main room. Master Splinter pauses in front of the couple to say "Leonardo, Michelangelo, will you please show Leatherhead and the Jones to the guest rooms? I am sure they are exhausted and in need of rest. I will help Raphael tend to Donatello" The turtles nod and with one last glance at Donnie's still form they began navigating the caves.

Raph carefully places Donnie on the infirmary cot he had showed them just that morning and waits for Keaton and Fira to rest against the far wall before he silently begins helping Master Splinter check for injuries.

After treating some minor burns and bandaging numerous cuts Master Splinter places a paw on Donnie's head. Focusing on Donnie's spirit he searched but found that a barrier of some sort was blocking his path. If he could not move forward to find Donatello…Donatello could not move back and return to them. Master Splinter opens his eyes and his ears fold back, this was not good. Raphael had already been sent back to the rest of the group, judging by the number of voices nobody could bring themselves to sleep. Master Splinter followed the sounds to the kitchen.

Upon entering Master Splinter noticed the addition of more chairs and slowly sat down. He had the entire room's attention. Sighing he spoke. "It seems that Keaton's near death experience pushed Donatello's mind to it's breaking point. Donatello's grief helped to awaken the natural magic ability he had hidden inside. Donatello's magic seems to encompass healing abilities which is why Keaton is currently alive and well but Donatello's grief caused him to release too much energy when awakening his ability and his body shut down. Although Donatello's physical injuries are minor and will heal in little time, the psychological damage present in his mind is extensive, he is trapped in his mind and I can not reach him." His sons looked to him, worry clouding their faces "Wait, you don't mean…" "Yes, I am sorry but Donatello has gone into a coma."

**To all of you who like death and tragedy, sorry but I couldn't let Keaton die. I really do apologize for the overused "main character suddenly has powers" though; it just fit… thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 55

**I'm sorry but I am participating in a competition and I won't have access to a computer for another week. I'll try to make up for it in the next real update! Again I'm sorry! **

A captain of the King's guards enters the throne room, quickly falling to his knee as he gives his report. "The west side of the Kingdom has been burned to the ground. The message has been sent. If the people hide the Medicine Man they will suffer. Your Majesty, the Medicine Man has revealed himself and he does not seem to be alone. He exerted a large amount of magical power when we killed his wolf guardian. The guards believe that he won't be waking for quite a bit. What are your orders?"

A sinister smile can be seen in the shadows of the throne room. "Find him. I want him captured, alive. If you encounter the ones allied with him…destroy them. I have no need for them. The Medicine Man will join my league of doctors. He will have no choice. I will make sure of it. Even if I have to completely break his spirit first. Now, go. Report any strange movement or sightings immediately."

"Yes your Majesty"

" Ah, I almost forgot, I must deal with some insubordinate doctors, tell my assistants that they may have some new bodies to dissect soon. If anything is left once I am through with them."

"Of course"

Screams erupt from within the castle's walls. The people trapped in the jail cells forced to listen as their colleagues scream in absolute agony for hours. Terror rips through those left behind as the screams suddenly stop and all falls silent. They could be next.

In the quiet solitude of the infirmary Master Splinter's eyes snapped open. He takes a calming breathe and tries to search for the reason behind the sudden chill he felt. Someone was coming. Danger was lurking nearby. He searched the spiritual plane quickly to see how far away the danger was and relaxed slightly. Still far away, the enemy had no idea where they were. Master Splinter looked at the unconscious turtle in front of him. He had to keep trying. Donatello must be awake when they face the enemy. Returning to his meditative trance Master Splinter continued his search for Donatello's lost spirit.


	7. Chapter 6

**Ok, so I'm back! That was a longgg flight. This chapter has some recap on Donnie's past…Sorry about the wait!**

Silence filled the underground home. Only the soft snores of the sleeping figures interrupted the quiet. Almost all were fast asleep, well, all except the three turtle brothers who lay contemplating the day's events unable to rest.

After another half hour of hopelessly trying to calm their minds the three crept up and out of their guest rooms. Each believed they were the only one awake and all three yelped in shock when they crashed together at the entrance leading to the kitchen. Leo was able to recover first and quietly he asked "Mike..? Raph..? What are you doing up this late?" "I could ask ya the same thing fearless" "Just couldn't sleep bros"

Leo sighed, well…might as well just talk…they hadn't had the chance to really talk to each other about recent events and there was no better time than the present. "Do you guys want to move into the kitchen? We need to discuss everything that's happened" Leo couldn't see Mikey but he imagined him nodding enthusiastically while he replied "Yeah dudes, so much has changed since we came to this place." Raph only grunted and soon all three were sitting at the small table with a single lit candle in the center.

Mikey glanced at his two older brooding brothers and waited until he knew he had their attention "Do you think Donnie's going to be ok?" Raph and Leo looked unsure, neither knew for certain if Don would ever wake up, but Mike's pleading eyes had Leo saying "I think that he is too strong to go down so easily" Mikey looked toward the infirmary before replying almost inaudibly "I hope you're right Leo…When all this is over…I want him to stay with us" The other two brothers stiffened slightly at Mike's statement.

Raph carefully examined his younger brother and found that he genuinely wanted Don to come with them. "So you trust him Mike? We just met him and he said himself that he was a thief. What if he turns on us?" Mike's next statement didn't hold an ounce of uncertainty "He won't." Leo joined in "How do you _know_? We have no evidence that we can trust him in battle" "Yes we do Leo. He saved me you know" Mike's stare was burning a hole in the kitchen table as his mind replayed the rampage from earlier that day.

They had waited and waited for Donnie to return but he never did. Then they heard the screaming and had rushed back to the village to help who ever they could. The group had gotten separated and Mikey knew that Raph and Leo hadn't seen Donnie's actions.

Raph narrowed his eyes and looked at Leo before returning his stare to Mike. "What do ya mean he saved ya?" Mike looked up "After we got separated I found a little cat girl. She was crying and rushing around screaming for help so I picked her up to return her to where the other villagers were but this guard came up behind me with this huge hammer, I couldn't dodge without hurting her so I just kinda braced myself for it…but then Donnie jumped at him and pushed him away before he told me to escape. That hammer was aimed at my neck and head. I would probably be dead or paralyzed. I trust him. He was only worried about everyone else's safety. He never thought about his own. Leo, Raph, he deserves our trust."

Leo looked over Mike's serious determined face and nodded "I agree with Mikey. He sacrificed years of his life to loneliness to help this Kingdom." The blue and orange banded brothers looked to their red masked brother who sat contemplating about the unconscious turtle in the next room. Raph had needed proof that he could trust Donnie with his brother's lives, Mike just gave him that proof. Raph grinned "Yea yea, Donnie's one of us now."

Mikey smiled and bounced out of his seat "Think we can meditate and try to bring him back?" Leo's eyes were following his excited brother as he hopped about the room and he replied quickly "I don't know Mikey. Master Splinter is more skilled than all of us and he couldn't find Donnie today…But that doesn't mean we can't try." The other two nodded in agreement and Mikey wasted no time in rushing to Don's side.

Once everyone was seated comfortably on the ground near Donnie, Leo spoke "Ok, remember Master Splinter's lessons and try to search for his spirit, if we can find it…we have a chance of following it and breaking any mental barriers Don's trapped in." The three brothers slowed their breathing and slipped into a meditative state, once Raph entered the spirit plane he ignored the misty surroundings and focused his mind.

Raph followed his instincts but soon heard a loud "Hey Raphhh! Finally ran into you! Now I'm not alone in this never-ending misty place" "Oh great it's you." "Heyyy!" Mike pouted and crossed his arms before rapidly hopping from foot to foot, he pointed at the shadowy figure approaching them and Raph got into a defensive stance only to relax a moment later when the shadowy figure turned out to be Leo. "Now that we have found each other we can safely search for Donnie's trail".

The three began expanding their senses, trying to find any trace of the comatose turtle. Leo was the first to find a trace as he led the group further into the mist. They walked, and walked, and walked and Mikey decided that it's time for a break. "Leoooo, I'm tireddd when are we gonna find it?" "I don't know Mike, we have to keep going" Just as Mikey was about to respond scenes of villages and long winding forest trails were flying by around the group. "Uh Leo, what's happenin' " "I think we are looking at brief images of things Donnie has seen, like small clips of his memories, if we are seeing these then something in his memories might be holding him here"

Mikey was watching all the images intently and jumped startled when he heard the sound of voices, upon hearing the voices Leo and Raph whirled around so that they were facing the same images as Mikey. They see children running about playing in a field, screaming happily and chasing each other…as the kids ran the scene switched to that of an elderly fox woman who was calling out and ringing a bell. All the kids came running to the picnic tables spread out in front of the building that the brothers realized was an orphanage and each kid picked up a small plate for food and a cup of water.

The brothers looked around for Donnie and were surprised to hear a shout. Looking up they noted that Donnie looked to be about five years old and he was stuck hanging onto the edge of the orphanage rooftop. Somehow it seemed that he managed to find a small little hideaway to play and read in high above the ground. The brothers watched as Donnie clung precariously to the building with one hand while holding a worn old book in the other, refusing to let it go.

The fox caretaker was yelling panicked and all the other children were pointing frantically but Donnie simply swung his feet and found a good grip before launching off the side of the building into a nearby tree before he climbed down to the ground. The brothers let out the breath they were holding unconsciously and Mikey laughed "he looks so little! He sure learned to read early! And Donnie was a little troublemaker! Look at his smile!"

Little Donnie was indeed smiling and the smile was never wiped off his face even when the caretaker scolded him. The brothers were grinning at the scene but the grins were replaced with horrified stares when the scene switched violently to flames and chaos. Children were crying everywhere and they watched in horror as the orphanage went up in flames and dark clad figures raced around slaughtering some and injuring others as they laughed maniacally.

The turtles looked around desperately for Donnie and Raph shouted out when he saw the slightly older olive green turtle huddling near a fruit cart. They watched as the child version of Don stared helplessly at the massacre and then they lunged forward to protect him when they noticed that a man with a sword was approaching Donnie's hideaway. They quickly remembered that this was only a memory and they couldn't do anything when their hands went through Donnie and they stepped back, forced to watch. Luckily Donnie seemed to notice him too and he dove into the fruit sellers crate and cowered beside the fruit, covering his ears, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth to block out the destruction outside.

The scene blacked out and the brothers only had time to exchange another shocked glance before turning back to the new memory. They watched as Donnie woke up to the surprised fruit sellers face and took off running. The next few scenes flashed by rapidly, they watched as Donnie stole food and clothes, medicine for the other urchin children and learned how to fight in order to survive on the streets, they watched the years go by with Donnie traveling from place to place and then suddenly they heard a roar and saw Leatherhead running at Donnie.

The brothers were completely lost. Why was Leatherhead attacking Don? They continued staring at the memories flying by. Witnessing Don and Leatherhead's meeting and everything after, they watched in helplessness as the village burned to the ground. Their hearts broke as they watched Donnie bury the bodies and then wait, and wait for months for Leatherhead's return. When Donnie left the village behind and began traveling again it was obvious that he blamed himself for the villagers' deaths, maybe even the orphanage deaths as well. The brothers stared numbly at each other and then began watching the memories again, each gained a small grin when they watched Don meet Fira and Keaton.

As far as they could tell…Donnie had been almost completely alone most of his life, just like he said before. When the brothers reached the present they stood frozen "…I can't believe…so much death…oh Donnie." The brothers shook their heads and with heavy hearts went along their way. They continued following their instincts and to Mikey, it felt like forever before they reached the edge of the mist.

Their sights were met with a mix of what looked like random objects, a book, a medicine bag, a plate of food, a fruit cart. Cautiously the brothers walked past the items and approached the cart, Leo lifted the top off the crate and found the crate was empty. The brothers were unprepared for the sudden force that pushed them towards the crate. Being the closest, Leo was sucked into the crate and as his brothers reached out to grab him they too disappeared into the black hole that had appeared.

Groaning the brothers sat up on damp stony ground. After looking around they realized it was Taiyō Kingdom. After regaining their balance the brothers cautiously followed the stone path, the further they walked the more destruction they faced, until only half burnt houses surrounded them.

Seeing a figure at the end of the path Leo, Raph, and Mikey raced forward. They easily recognized that brown cape, the olive green skin, the purple mask. They were only five feet away when the brothers ran into some sort of wall. Raph growled and pounded on the invisible force keeping him from the crouched heap in front of him. Mikey was yelling "DONNIE! Donnie wake up!. DONNIEE"

Don turned around but didn't seem to see them as he held his head and muttered "I failed. He's dead. Dead. Dead. He's dead. Keaton. Keaton's dead. I let someone else die. I failed. I failed" Leo crouched down and stared into the clouded hopeless eyes and felt his heart shatter. He felt the need to embrace the lost turtle but the barrier was in the way and Donnie had no idea they were there.

Mikey and Raph raced to Leo's side and slid to their knees. They all yelled to try to get Don's attention…Nothing was working. Leo looked at Donnie's form and noticed that there was a heap of black fur behind him. Keaton's body? Leo realized that they needed to convince Donnie that Keaton was alive. He called out to his brothers and explained and the three began tried to brainstorm ideas. No ideas were coming to mind and they were starting to panic. Donnie looked worse every second.

All three were shocked when their stern Master's voice sounded out of nowhere. "My sons. Remain Calm." Mikey yelled out anxiously "What do we do!? Donnie thinks Keaton's dead! That's why he won't come back!" "Focus all your energy into your hands. As one, reach out and touch the barrier. You must think that the barrier is weak and brittle, that it will collapse at the slightest touch. It will start to break if you work together" The brothers followed Master Splinter's instructions but the barrier only cracked and became more visible. After trying two times more and only managing to enlarge the crack the brothers were growing tired and losing hope. Master Splinter's voice had disappeared and they were on their own. Shouting out in frustration Raph screamed "Come on Donnie! Ya ain't gonna lose to some stupid wall! Keaton's alive! He ain't dead!"

After Raph's rant the brothers were about to attempt to break the wall again when they heard Donnie voice "Raph…? Are you there? Are you hurt? I'm so sorry! I forgot about you guys! Did Mikey make it out with the cat child? Is everyone else ok? I can't see you! Where are you?" It seemed that even in his deepest state of grief Donnie was still concerned about everyone else's well being. Shocked the brothers barely managed a response "Donnie! You hear me! I'm ok! Leo and Mike are here too!" as soon as Raph reassured Donnie Mikey yelled out "I'm ok Donnie I got the cat girl to safety! But that's not important! Keaton's alive! You saved him!" Leo piped up "He's right Don, you awakened some sort of healing magic and saved Keaton's life!"

The crack was expanding and the edges were crumbling, the gap was growing bigger and bigger but Don's cold voice cut through "No. That's impossible. He's dead. I let him die." Don's statement seemed to start to seal the cut and the barrier began closing once again. Raph would have none of it. He marched over and yelled "None of those deaths were your fault, and Keaton's alive. If ya won't believe us you're being an idiot. And how selfish would it be to give up if he was dead? You have Leatherhead again, he misses you! You put yourself into a coma! What about us! We need you awake and walking around! Not wallowing in a pity party! Just listen! Keaton's alive. He ain't dead."

Raph's smoldering glare seemed to make Donnie falter, he stared and seemed to be thinking, Don turned his gaze to the ground "What if I end up killing all of you too? I don't want you to die" Leo pushed Raph away gently and spoke clearly "You won't. You would never hurt us on purpose and we trust you" Donnie seemed to break at that and he sobbed in relief. "I didn't kill him? You…you trust me? So you won't die too?" Mikey was grinning and he hopped through the newly appeared hole in the barrier to hug Donnie "Dude please come back! We miss you. Everyone wants you back."

Donnie searched for any sign of deception in Mikey's voice and gaze but found none. Smiling he started to stand but his legs gave out and he would have fallen to the ground had it not been for Leo and Raph who grabbed his arms to steady him. He was about to say thank you when their forms disappeared and his vision went black.

Leo, Raph and Mikey opened their eyes to see their father, Leatherhead, April, and Casey staring worriedly at them. Their hazy thoughts cleared and they all leapt to their feet, glancing around at Donnie's still unconscious form. Had they failed? Master Splinter walked over to Donatello's side and stated "He is no longer stuck in a comatose state. He is merely sleeping now. You saved him when I could not. I am proud of you."

Keaton and Fira were now resting beside Don on the bed and Keaton barked happily at them. The brothers sagged in relief as Master Splinter ushered them out of the infirmary "It will be a while yet before he awakens. Let us get some rest." The brothers muttered sleepy agreement but never made it to their individual guest rooms. They were fast asleep in a turtle pile before they could even make it past the first room.

Leo awoke to the feeling of something poking his arm, he pushed it away but it just kept coming back. Finally having enough he opened his eyes groggily and started hissing for the thing to go away only to gape in shock. Donnie was grinning as he crouched by Leo, seeing that his victim was awake he spoke "Well good morning. Sure slept in late"

Leo tried to stand only to realize something was holding him down. Turning his neck so he could look around Leo noted that the weight was his brothers. Raph was on top of him and he seemed to be quickly waking up, no surprise as Keaton was licking his face, and Mikey was also coming to his senses, shrieking when he realized that Fira was pecking at his forehead. Leo was suddenly very glad that he only had to deal with Don's poking.

The now awake brothers stared dumbly at the very awake and healthy Donatello before they all crushed him in a giant group hug. Donnie was laughing and when they finally let him go he thanked them "Thank you so much for bringing me back. For reminding me that I have others waiting for me." He ducked down and hugged Keaton again before letting go and grabbing Leo's arm. He dragged him toward the kitchen where food was already waiting on the table with Leatherhead, Master Splinter, April, and Casey. Mikey's salivating urged the group to go all the faster and once breakfast was finished Master Splinter cleared his throat. "I believe it is time for training."

**Thanks for reading! Again, sorry about the wait!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Soo firstly, sorry about this but chapters are going to be shorter and updates will be a bit more sporadic for now, I have family visiting for a while and I don't have much time to write so this will just have to wait until I can give it proper attention. I like to sit down and complete chapters at one time and this one was completed at numerous times…it isn't very good, which is again why chapter updates might take a bit longer. **

CLANG "Oof!" Thwump. Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Casey were sparring under the watchful eye of Master Splinter and so far Mikey's agility had helped him win his match against Raph who had won against Casey, and then Mike's jokester attitude had resulted in his loss against Leo. Master Splinter ended the match and gave pointers and advice to the four, hoping that his distracted students were listening to at least _some _of his advice rather than only listening to the frustrated shouts echoing from the next room.

Mikey truly wanted to pay attention to Master Splinter, really he did! Or at least he was better at pretending…but knowing that Don, April and Leatherhead were practicing with their powers in the next room was extremely distracting. Mikey looked away from the door leading to the others after hearing Master Splinter sigh only to find the wise rat standing in front of him. Mike gulped. Master Splinter didn't like it when his students didn't pay attention. But, to Mike's surprise he wasn't scolded. Master Splinter glanced at him with a knowing look and began "It seems that something is disturbing your focus today Michelangelo, it wouldn't happen to be the training session in the next room would it?" "Ummm, Uh." Master Splinter smiled "Seeing as you are going to be battling against the King and his sorcerers, it only makes sense that you know some basic defense spells, let us join Leatherhead, Donatello, and Mrs. Jones" Mikey yelled in excitement while Raph, Leo, and Casey grinned and high-fived before dashing out of the room.

Upon entering the cave room where Leatherhead was instructing Don and April on the basics of magic the group had to duck in order to escape a stray blast of magic headed towards their heads. Don apologized but immediately returned his complete focus to the book in front of him as soon as he realized they hadn't been hurt.

The brothers turned their shocked gazes to Leatherhead who only chuckled and said "He caught on to the basic defense spells that I taught him quickly, now he just needs to strengthen his own ability" April poked her head around Leatherhead's giant frame and added "Unfortunately some of us aren't geniuses and I'm still trying to perfect the basics-shields and such and haven't been able to enhance my own power" The group warily noted that she sounded immensely irritated and gave her sympathetic/encouraging looks.

Mikey was bouncing on the balls of his feet as he exclaimed "We get to join you! I can't wait to learn all this magical stuff, I'll defeat everyone!" Raph grunted and smirked "Bet ya I'll be able to learn some great attack spells, they'll never know what hit 'em!" Leo also looked excited at the prospect of learning new battle skills and looked expectantly at Leatherhead who smiled and passed him a spell book before asking Casey to join him in learning the shield spells with April. Leo looked to his two brothers who looked as lost as he did on where to start when his Masters voice cut in behind him, "I believe starting with the protection spells would be best for you three as well".

So for the rest of the day Casey tried to master the shield spell while April eventually moved on to practicing her control over her own power, Mike, Raph and Leo mastered a few variations of protection spells before Master Splinter informed them that other than being able to learn the absolute basics like distractions and illusions they wouldn't be able to learn more powerful attack magic until they had completed years of dedicated training. Raph was incredibly disappointed by this but consoled himself with the fact that he was more than able to take out numerous enemies without the use of magic.

Master Splinter and Leatherhead had advised a lunch break seeing as magic required large amounts of energy and the group was tiring so the Jones had gone to help prepare lunch and the brothers were just about to exit the room when they noticed that Donnie was making no move to leave the table where he was studying his spell book.

Raph decided that after studying all day Don needed to take a break so he strolled over and startled Donnie when he spoke "Hey Don, it's lunchtime, take a break, you have been working all day." Don turned his gaze to Raph and found that for a while he had forgotten about his guests. Smiling sheepishly, Don tried to find a way to politely turn down the offer. He had quite a bit more studying to do after all if he wanted to be ready. Well that was his train of thought until Leo placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look just screaming for Don to obey. "Don you need a break, come eat with us".

Giving a sigh of defeat Donnie stood and followed the three to his kitchen. He tuned out during the meal, his mind thinking of the spells he had read and memorized, thinking about the help he could give with his new power.

It was still strange thinking that, he actually had magical powers, to heal and save people of all things. Maybe he could finally make up for all the people that he couldn't save before. Donnie's thoughts were interrupted when he realized that Mikey was staring at him and waiting for an answer, he then noticed that he had the attention of the rest of the table's occupants as well.

"Um sorry, what?" "Dude do you want to go for a run later? Leo wants to patrol the forest and it would be great to get a breather, Keaton and Fira would love to see you too"

Donnie thought it over, he really wanted to continue studying but…spending time with the brothers would be great too, and maybe if the group stumbled upon an injured villager or animal Don could practice his healing, after a rampage that destructive, injuries were bound to be everywhere. And just like that Don remembered that he needed to tend to the villagers wounded. Looking up at Mike's questioning look he replied "Actually, do you guys want to come with me when I help the villagers? I need to make my rounds tonight, and if you go patrolling now I can gather some of the plants I need from the forest"

He waited as the brothers looked to Master Splinter for permission and smiled when Master Splinter said it would be a good chance to get to know one another further. April and Casey decided that they should stay behind so that they wouldn't slow them down and they could work on their magic while they waited. Don felt a bit guilty about missing the opportunity to practice but shoved the feeling away. The wounded villagers were the top priority right now. He could study later.

After grabbing his medical bag and bo, Donnie went to play with Keaton and Fira while he waited for the others to arrive. When the three brothers did make their way to the entrance their sights were met with Donnie laughing underneath Keaton as he sat on his shell while Fira seemed to be shaking her head in amusement a few feet away.

After disentangling himself from Keaton, the four turtles began their patrol, a steady pace was set and Leo was happy to see that Donnie had no trouble keeping up. Every now and then Donnie would ask for the group to stop so he could collect herbs but otherwise the run was completely uneventful.

Although it was boring for Raph and Mikey they did enjoy the chance to watch Donnie collect and teach them about the different plants. Well that and the opportunity they took to tackle him and convince him to help them sneak up on Leo.

Their sneak attack went well, sort of. Leo had known it was coming but he hadn't expected Donnie to be dragged into it so soon. Donnie had enjoyed the game immensely, the rough-housing and joking gave him that fuzzy warm feeling and Don felt like he had always belonged, that he was a brother.

When they had finally calmed down and returned home the sky was already sinking on the horizon and Don told the group that they should leave soon if they wanted to help as many people as possible. The group briefly stuck their heads into the home to tell Master Splinter that they were leaving before racing out to where the villagers were taking refuge.

Donnie was conflicted, should he reveal himself? He couldn't sneak in when the villagers were sleeping within sight of one another around the fires…maybe it was finally time to step out into the open. He shared his thoughts with his companions and they mulled over the idea. As the group tried to come to a decision they had no idea that an ambush lay in wait.

The guards' commander showed a sinister smile as he waited for the appearance of the mysterious Medicine Man. Their orders were clear. Capture one, kill the others. Don't let anyone get in the way. The leader had gathered his men and explained that their sole objective was to wait for the Medicine Man to show up to help the injured and to bring him to the King, alive. If they were lucky the villagers would fight back and they would get a nice bloody battle. Well…more like an entertaining blood spill seeing as the villagers were not practiced fighters. The lead guard chuckled to himself. The feeling of his blade slicing through skin was something he took pleasure in. He had a feeling that tonight would be fun. He settled back in his spot in the trees to wait.

The villagers had no idea they were being watched. He needed to keep it that way if he wanted to successfully capture the Medicine Man. If he didn't….he could very well lose his head. Looking out over the refugees' camp he noted that the number of villagers meant that he could not see the other end of the camp. He brushed the fact aside, the Medicine Man was notorious for helping _everyone_, he would have to travel through the entire camp and the King's men would be ready when he came into view. They would not fail. The consequences were too great.

Hearing the rustling of leaves behind him the lead guard silently whipped around and sent a glare at the restless men. If glares could kill…he would need to train new recruits every week, for now he settled for giving his men heart attacks and turned back around, satisfied with the following silence. All that was left to do was wait.

**Sorry again….this chapter is just boring and not very eventful…just kind of leading up to future events…but thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the delay, and for**** any mistakes...it's really early in the morning…Thank you for waiting and I hope you like the chapter!**

Word spread rapidly throughout the camp. The Medicine Man was here, and although the Phantom's presence came with a feeling of great relief it also brought _fear_. News of the Medicine Mans arrival came with a warning. They must be silent about his appearance, absolute secrecy. The King's men were said to be near and no one wanted their savior to fall into the King's hands after the selflessness he had shown. Silently the villagers traveled back and forth, delivering the message to more and more as they attempted to act completely normal.

Don smiled at the two kids in his makeshift medical bay, Don knew from past observations that the twins argued constantly and would be squabbling right now if not for the fact that they were too busy staring at him with awestruck gazes. Maybe if he took off his cloak he would seem less mysterious and they would lose interest…Seriously they hadn't even blinked in the last few minutes.

The twins never even glanced at Keaton and Fira who were patiently laying in the corner, usually kids loved them but the twins refused to even look at them if it meant looking away from him, it seemed that they couldn't believe that they were actually seeing _the_ Phantom.

Honestly the attention was making him kind of uncomfortable.

Turning to the siblings Don gave a small unsure smile before informing them of his orders. "You want the breaks to heal properly so you must take care not to participate in any strenuous activities or else you could re-brake the bone." The twins had come into his tent with one having a broken arm and the other a broken leg, but instead of crying and whining over their injuries like most children the two had been quite proud that they had gotten the injuries while defending each other before being saved by Raph.

Don's anger was quickly rising, even though they had not been the only injured children and there were many, many more adults that had needed medical assistance Don always found that he couldn't stand seeing children injured. It made him sick to think about it but he held his emotions in check and fumed silently.

Don's anger at the guards for beating two defenseless children subsided slightly when amusement took over at the current situation in his medical tent. Raph had walked in to say that there were only a few more patients that needed help and he had not been prepared for the blurs that came flying at him. Donnie couldn't contain his laughter at Raph's bewildered expression when the twins attempted to tackle him in a bear hug as thanks for their rescue, and as if Raph wasn't teetering from supporting the two kids Keaton had joined in causing Raph to tumble to the ground. Fira was squawking in the corner of the tent and if Donnie didn't know better he would swear she was laughing. His own laughter was loud in the small tent much to Raph's annoyance and even if it did earn him a smack on the head and a death glare from the resident tough guy Donnie knew it was worth it.

Don began to teasingly complain that only Mikey deserved being smacked on the head when the tent was torn apart and something hit him on the head. The force had been enough to send Don crashing to the ground and for a moment he just remained motionless trying to get his bearings.

The blurry images cleared as his eyes became more focused and Don was horrified and slightly exasperated to see guardsmen rushing around him just waiting for him to try to get up. Didn't these guys know when to give up? Whirling his head around Don took in his situation and decided that his best bet would be to startle them. So, making sure to give nothing away Don immediately launched to his feet.

Surprised, the guards yelled and stumbled for a second before they began to rush at him with swords, clubs, hammers, and….was that a kitchen knife? Shaking his head Don ignored the strange choice of weapons and somersaulted over the guards towards where the entrance to the tent used to be. Don knew that he needed his bo in order to level the playing field a bit and last he checked his bo had been by the entrance and was probably still laying on the ground somewhere near there.

Upon reaching what was left of the tent entrance Donnie quickly scanned the ground before yelling out a victorious "HA!" when he grabbed his weapon while simultaneously knocking out three guardsmen. After defeating the guards in his immediate vicinity Donnie dared to glance around. He couldn't see Leo, Raph or Mike and he couldn't hear Keaton's vicious battle growl or Fira's accompanying screech but Don knew they were fighting somewhere in the camp, or maybe helping the villagers. Looking at the surrounding chaos Donnie could only think that the villagers didn't deserve this. They didn't deserve this constant fear for their lives and their homes. His thoughts were cut short when he picked up on the presence approaching him from behind and he spun around preparing himself for battle.

Don's tense posture relaxed once he realized that the presence was only Leo, the next second Don quickly realized that relaxing was a mistake when a club came zooming by his head. With the saying 'safety in numbers' echoing in Don's head he rushed to Leo's side. Leo glanced over his shoulder and asked "Are you ok?" "Yep I'm fine, how are the others?" "They're ok, Raph and Mikey are helping everyone get to safety. Stay close. We don't know what they're after." Donnie nodded and followed Leo as he jumped into the fray. Don felt secure with Leo at his back, they were having no trouble defeating the guards charging at them and at that moment everything seemed like it would be fine. Don believed they would be ok.

Then the feeling of security vanished. Worried, Don whipped his head around to frantically look for the turtle in blue that he had learned to trust with his life. There he was! Fending off some guy who had managed to wrap a chain around his arm and sword. They were forcing him further and further away. Donnie began to panic. Leo would be in trouble if they immobilized him. Weaving around his opponents Donnie evaded their weak attempts to harm him and focused solely on getting to Leo's side.

Don narrowed his eyes at the guards who formed a wall to block his path, he couldn't afford to waste his time on them, he needed to get through to help Leo. Don was momentarily distracted when he heard the loud thud of armor hitting the ground. Donnie looked up to see Raph and Mikey beating the guards that were surrounding Leo to the ground. He saw Leo turn around, most likely looking for him after being separated and Don barely managed to register the panicked look on his face before a cloth was slipped over his nose and mouth and everything went black.

Leo was mad. He was outright _irate. _The guards had managed to separate Don from him and now they were stealing him away! No, he couldn't let them take him away. Don had looked at him with complete trust to get them out of this and he had failed. With a roar of anger that was uncharacteristic for him Leo launched himself at the guards. They had no time to prepare, he was attacking anything that dared to get in his way. Concentrating his senses Leo briefly acknowledged Raph viciously pounding enemies on his left and Mikey's unsettling seriousness on his right as they barreled through the wall of enemies intent on blocking them from their fourth. They weren't going to take Don without one heck of a fight. The guards that had ambushed them originally were down for the count and not likely to get up for a very long while, leaving the brothers free to chase after the guard escaping with Donnie. The brothers were quickly catching up to the man, their panic waning under the knowledge that against the three of them the man didn't stand a chance.

They leaped as one, intent on overtaking the man when mid leap he threw something at the ground and smoke erupted everywhere. They landed and launched themselves in the direction where the man last was only to find him gone and the space empty. The smoke was hindering their sight. Now that their attention was on the smoke they were forced to acknowledge that it wasn't normal, alarmed Leo realized he was starting to feel drowsy. He began to yell a warning to his brothers when the smokes effects rendered him unconscious. Leo only thought one thing as he fell to the ground and his eyes slid shut. "I'm sorry Donnie."

Daylight was breaking when Leo awoke to his Fathers concerned voice and the clear helplessness in his brothers' eyes. Immediately Leo knew that Don was gone, Keaton's tortured howl and Mikey's defeated voice saying "They took him Leo, we didn't make it" only served to drive the point home.

The captain of the King's guard led his men to the entrance of King's room. He could feel the sweat beading on his brow as he struggled against his fear. As captain of the guards the responsibility would fall on him for the capture of the Medicine Man, but also for the failure to kill the others. Anxiously looking at the door that would lead him before the King the captain swiftly chose two others to follow him and carry the turtle's unconscious body as he entered the room. Reaching the middle of the room the man kneeled and spoke.

"Sir, we have captured the one the villagers call Medicine Man" "Oh? What of the others?" "They escaped Sir. Our numbers were too few to kill them. They were too strong." "I see. You failed to complete your task. I should have you killed, but, you did return with the one I wanted so I will spare you. However, you are removed from your position. You will tend to the sorcerers every whim. Is that understood?" "Y-yes, your majesty" The sorcerers liked to experiment on their _helpers_…he was as good as dead. "Take the prisoner to his cell. I will see to him later." The king's teeth flashed as he grinned at the sight of the captured turtle. The number one nuisance in his Kingdom. The villagers' symbol for hope, now powerless in his hands for the King to do as he wished with. His grin only widened as the doors clanged shut. He would take care of the others later. They would be weakened without the Medicine Man. The King doubted they posed much of a threat.

Donnie slowly came back to the waking world and blinked warily but the darkness wouldn't go away. What _happened?_ Why did his head hurt so much….wait…where was he? This wasn't home. Ignoring his pounding headache Donnie suddenly jumped to his feet, well, he tried to. A weight that felt like a chain on his foot provided a reminder of his situation. That's right. He was captured wasn't he? What about Leo, Raph and Mikey? Did they make it out? Were they ok? Did Keaton and Fira make it? Donnie really hoped they did.

Knowing that it was useless to spend too much time worrying about his very capable friends Don looked around his prison. He couldn't see a thing. The room he was in was completely dark. After feeling around the floor Donnie concluded that they had taken all of his things, he was pretty sure he dropped his bo when they knocked him out but the herbs and supplies in his cloak pockets were gone too.

There was nothing he could do.

Slinking back against the wall Donnie groaned into his hands. He hoped everyone was ok. Bringing his knees to his chest Donnie made himself as small as possible. He had no idea what would happen now. He could only try to lesson his headache and recover enough to put up a fight when the King came for him.

**Thanks for reading!**


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